Support means for work bed of brushmaking machine



Sept. 3

Filed June 15, 1966 FlEi H. J. HAZELTON 3,399,929

SUPPORT MEANS FOR WORK BED OF BRUSHMAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 54 J72'U67Z zor:

HaraZdJf/qge/zon Sept. 3, 1968 H. .1. HAZELTON SUPPORT MEANS FOR WORK BEL) OF BRUSHMAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 15, 1966 United States Patent 3,399,929 SUPPORT MEANS FOR WORK BED OF BRUSHMAKING MACHINE Harold J. Hazelton, Batavia, Ill., assignor to Carlson Tool & Machine Company, a corporation of Illinois Filed June 15, 1966, Ser. No. 557,673 3 Claims. (Cl. 300-11) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support for a brushmaking machine of the type wherein the work bed of the brushmaking machine is moved vertically through engagement of a cam wheel with a follower on a pivoted arm which is also pivoted to the vertically movable work bed, characterized in that toggle means is connected to the pivoted arm and to the vertically movable portion of the work bed to assist in supporting the work bed in different positions of vertical extension.

This invention relates to brushmaking machines and more particularly to an improvement in the support for the work bed thereof.

Brushmaking machines are typically provided with a bridge-like work bed which supports a table for movement of the table in several directions relative to the machine to assist in accomplishing fabricating steps on brush blanks held at stations on the table. Typically the component structure of the work bed is movable laterally and longitudinally of the machine, is also vertically movable, and may be tiltable relative to the machine.

With the advent of increasingly versatile brushmaking machines wherein greater speed and a greater number of operations are necessarily performed on brush blanks held on the fabricating stations of the Work bed, more severe forces are imparted to the work bed, the weight of the work bed has been increased, and the speed with which the work bed must be moved between different positions of elevation has also increased. It has been found that in some applications the support means for the work bed has tended to either slightly flex due to its own inherent resiliency (although made of heavy metal) or slightly bounce responsive to rapid shifting of the relatively heavy work bed. This has resulted in some inaccurate formation of the holes in the brush blanks as well as improper inserting or tufting of the bristles into the holes of brush blanks.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a new and improved support for the work bed of a brushmaking machine.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel support for a work bed of a brushmaking machine which may be incorporated in present brushmaking machine structures without substantially altering the same.

It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved support for the work bed of a brushmaking machine which is capable of rapid movement to keep pace with the rapid cyclic operation of brushmaking machines and yet is provided with sufficient rigidity to hold the work bed at the desired position of elevation respon sive to motion imparted to a follower tracking on a cam wheel.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary broken view in rear elevation of a portion of the drive mechanism of a brushmaking machine; and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the brushmaking machine taken generally along the lines 22 of FIGURE 1.

The brushmaking machine 10 of this invention includes a frame or bed 12 generally defined by upright end members 14 tied together by cross members 15 and 16 to form a generally rigid supporting structure. Transverse member 17 may span the front to rear of the machine and be tied to cross members 16.

The function of the machine is to drill and tuft brush blanks which are held 011 a table carried by a bridge 18. Portions of the table are constructed and arranged for movement transversely and longitudinally of the machine and the bridge itself is secured in the machine for movement vertically relative to the machine. For this purpose, bridge 18 is connected to bars 20 which are slidably positioned in channels 22 formed in spaced upright guides 24, which are secured to the frame 14.

Typically the brushmaking machines are provided with a cam shaft 26. Wheels or spiders 28 may be mounted on the shaft and these wheels support cams 30 which are utilized to impart the several directional movements to components of the machine. Such motion is established in a typical manner by means of a follower 31 engaging the periphery of the cam wheel 30 and being connected to suitable linkage for translating this motion into the desired movement of the work table or bridge 18.

With the advent of brushmaking machine structures which is designed for continuous operation and for greater versatility, the structure supported on bridge 18 has become heavier, the length and rapidity of the movement which must be imparted to the bridge 18 is of greater magnitude, and the force with which the fabricating steps, such as the drilling and tufting are performed on the work pieces held on the table supported by bridge 18 are more severe. Thus it has become desirable to provide a means for moving and supporting the bridge in different positions of elevation with respect to the frame of the brush making machine which means will be capable of rapid movement through a relatively long path responsive to following engagement with a cam wheel and which means will further be capable of accurately locating and rigidly supporting the bridge 18 in each of the several intermittent positions of movement of the bridge during cyclic operation of the brushmaking machine. Furthermore, it has become desirable to provide such a structure which would require only minimal changes in the presently known brushmaking machine structure.

To accomplish the aforementioned vertical movement, follower 31 is mounted at a point along the rear edge of a cradle 32 which is rotatably mounted on stubs 33 projecting inwardly from each of the uprights 14. Stubs 33 are journalled in bushings 34 formed on opposite sides of cradle 32. As the cradle is rocked about stubs 33 responsive to the intermittent rotation of cam 30, bars 20, and therefore bridge 18, are caused to move upwardly and downwardly as indicated by the arrows A and B, respectively, by means of structure to be hereinafter described.

First support members or vertically depending members 36 are secured to transverse members 17 by suitable fastening means 37. Brace members are connected at opposite ends ends 38a and 38b to transverse members 17 and to members 36, respectively, to form a generally rigid structure therewith. Legs or beam members 40 are secured by fastening means 41 to a web portion 41a of cradle 32 and extend downwardly therefrom. These legs are pivotally connected to a first link member 42 by means 43.

First link members 42 extend generally horizontally forwardly from legs 40 and are pivoted to the knee of a toggle-like structure including lower brace member 44 and upper brace member 46 by connecting means 47.

Lower brace members 44 are pivoted by connecting means 44 to vertical member 36. Upper members 46 are pivoted through connecting means 35 to the slidable bars 20 in guide members 24. As best seen in FIGURE 1, members 44 and 46 are substantially identical, each being provided with a reduced end portion such as 44a and 46a, respectively, so that when the two members are inverted relative to each other, they may mate in the slightly vertically offset manner illustrated.

Preferably links 42 are positioned between legs 40 and first members 44, which, in turn, are laterally adjacent upper members 46. Brackets 48 are secured to members 44 by a suitable means such as screws 48a and extend over the end portion of upper members 46. Brackets 50 are secured to link 42 by set screws 50a and overlie brackets 48 with the pivotal connecting means 47 passing through the several links and brackets 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50.

Blocks 52 are held in channels at the lower ends of vertical members 36 in different positions of vertical adjustment by set screws 54 and lock nuts 56 on the lower end of member 36, as well as by set screws 58 which project laterally outwardly from one side of member 36. This provides a means for adjusting the orientation of the toggle structure relative to the bars 20 connected to bridge 18.

The toggle is normally oriented so that when the bridge 18 is in its lowermost position as shown in FIG- URE 2, the links 44 and 46 will be disposed at a relatively wide angle to each other rather than relatively acute, so as to provide maximum supporting strength. Lateral movement of link 42 responsive to engagement of follower 31 with cam 30 will move the toggle to an even more upright position with rapid response to firmly support the bridge 18 in its uppermost positions.

In operation, as follower 31 tracks on the periphery of cam wheel 30, cradle 32 will rock about stubs 33. This will be transmitted as swinging movement in legs 40 which, in turn, will cause links 42 to move laterally. As the links move forwardly responsive to motion that rocks cradle 32 about stubs 33 to impart an upward movement to bars 20, and therefore bridge 18, upper and lower members 44 and 46 are moved from their angular displacement relative to their mountings 44a and 34, respectively, to a' generally upright attitude relative to vertical members 36 and guides 24. Similarly, as follower 31 moves towards the, center of shaft 26, legs 40 swing away from vertical members 36, pulling links 42 with them and pulling lower and upper members 44 and 46 into a position of angular displacement relative to members 36 and 24 while bridge 18 is permitted to descend.

It has been found that this structure is extremely rigid in operation, positively holding the bridge 18 in the desired position of elevation responsive to tracking by follower 31 on cam wheel 30. Moreover, it has been found that this arrangement is very well suited to rapid changes in the vertical displacement of bridge 18 as well as rather lengthy changes in the aforesaid displacement. Finally, the structure is highly desirable in that little modification of the present structure of the brushmaking machine is necessary, the linkages and levers forming a part of this .system being simply formed of bar stock and capable of being added to present brushmaking machines with little or no alterations in the brushmaking machine structure.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications may be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a brushmaking machine having a worktable for supporting brush blanks to be worked upon by fabricating means, said worktable having a leg portions slidably mounted in guides secured to the frame of the machine for movement of the worktable through a generally vertical path, and a drive shaft having a cam wheel thereon, said cam wheel periphery being indexed for translating desired movement to said table for cyclic operation of the brushmaking machine, means for moving and supporting said table through a generally vertical path, comprising: a cradle pivoted to the brushmaking machine for rocking movement about a generally horizontal axis, said cradle having a follower on one side of the pivot in following engagement with the periphery of the cam wheel for rocking the cradle responsive to rotation of the shaft, the other end of the cradle being pivoted to the worktable legs in the guide means for moving the table through a generally vertical path responsive to rocking of the cradle by the following engagement of the follower with the cam wheel periphery; a toggle mechanism connected at its opposite ends to the frame of the machine and to the pivotal connection of the cradle to the table legs, and means connecting the toggle to the cradle so that as the shaft is rotated to rock the cradle about its pivotal mounting with the brushmaking machine, this motion will be imparted as lateral motion to the knee of the toggle to assist in supporting the vertical movement of the legs and table.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the toggle mechanism includes first and second legs pivoted to each other and a connecting link extending outwardly from the pivotal connection of the first and second legs and pivotally connected to a portion of the cradle for transmitting rocking motion of the cradle as lateral motion to the toggle.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the toggle mechanism is oriented so that the legs of the toggle are generally uprightly oriented when the worktable is in its lowermost position, the legs of the toggle being moved to a more upright position to move the worktable to its uppermost position to thereby provide maximum support for the worktable between lowermost and uppermost positions thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 486,387 11/1892 Snaith 74-53 XR 664,989 l/ll Young 3001l 1,657,499 1/1928 Derry 74-53 XR 2,562,044 7/1951 Klocke 74-38 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. 

